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Ahmed Saeed Elham Al Dhaheri, Assistant Under-Secretary for Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has said that Japan will be easing travel for UAE citizens without a pre-entry visa requirement.

This came during the visit of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on 21 April to Tokyo.

Al Dhaheri said that the new agreement exempts UAE citizens who hold diplomatic and special passports, on official mission in Japan, from obtaining a pre-entry visa to enter the country. The same passport holders who wish to travel to Japan for tourism and business purposes can also enter without a pre-entry visa, and stay for a maximum period of 90 days from their date of entry.

The UAE official added that the agreement also eases the entry procedures for UAE citizens who carry regular passports to Japan for tourism, business and official reasons. UAE citizens are required to present their passports to the Japanese Embassy in Abu Dhabi, or the General Consulate of Japan in Dubai, or any diplomatic or representative office of Japan in any other country, to register their date of entry into Japan through an electronic sticker that is placed on the passport, with a validity period of three years or for the remaining period of their passport's validity, which is free of charge.

This sticker allows UAE citizens to remain in Japan for a maximum of 30 days.

Al Dhaheri stated that this accomplishment, which facilitates the movement of citizens from both countries, "is part of strong and exceptional 45-year bilateral relations between the UAE and Japan."

He added that this also highlight the desire of the governments of both countries to strengthen the mutual opportunities for their citizens in many areas, including tourism, trade and investment.